Bon Iver.

No witty titles for this blog folks, just straight up Bon Iver.

I made the sojourn to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the Bon Iver show at the Pabst Riverside Theater, 7/23. There was a show that happened the previous night, but the 23rd was the original date that went onsale first for this tour. My friend Meghan and I both love Bon Iver, so we decided that our 1st Bon Iver experience would be together, in Wisconsin. She cracked under the pressure and went to the show on the 22nd, but I still love her,lol.

I made it into Wisconsin on little sleep and a whole lot of excitement!

Meghan quickly scooped me up from the airport, along with another friend of mine, Kat!! HEY KAT!

She had come down for the day for a “Waukee Hang” (LOL). A huge brunch later, we went back to a friend’s house – Jen! The majority of the time between brunch and going to the venue was spent playing with Jen’s dog, Gracie, and trying to bribe Meghan to tell me what happened at last night’s show. Yes folks, I was like a crackhead for information. I NEEDED TO KNOW!!!

Scanning the setlist, I was so happy to see “Beach Baby.” I had requested that song a few weeks ago, glad he included it! Also… BJORK! What!! Bon Iver covering a BJORK song?? Is this real life? The idea of it was so intriguing I snuck onto Soundcloud and found it. Brilliant. I suggest you all take a listen when you can 🙂

A nap later…lol… We decided to head on over to the venue. I was so excited I was about to burst! I think Meghan found my excitement hilarious! LOL. We got to our seats, which were about 10 rows from the back, but still had a great view of the stage. Of course I wished we were front row, but I was just so damned happy to be there, I didn’t even care anymore.

The opening band were The Rosebuds who Justin used to play in back when he lived in North Carolina. I’ve just recently started listening to them, and I do enjoy their songs, but something was off with their sound. At times Ivan’s vocals were way overpowering and loud, other times they were great, and then Kelly’s vocals couldn’t even be heard at all. Not sure what happened there, but it sort of marred their performance slightly…. slightly. I think they would have killed a smaller venue though, no question.

Intermission time was upon us then. Meghan stepped out to stretch her legs and wound up seeing some of the Volcano Choir boys out in the lobby! If you don’t know, Volcano Choir is another band that Justin plays in from time to time.

After a bit Meghan comes back, we talk a little to pass the time… and then…. the lights go down.

My heart immediately starts pounding. I think I grabbed Meg’s arm at one point too.

And then, the cheers start. The deafening applause and yelps completely fill the venue. And out they walked as a group. There were so many of them, they filled the entire stage easily. The backdrop was just a few simple linear lights spread across the stage horizontally. Not fussy at all which I completely expect from Bon Iver. What I didn’t expect was what Justin was wearing. A VEST… and omg… is that… what I think it is?? Justin, are you wearing a BOLO TIE?!?!?! Seriously? LOL. Then again, with him, I am not surprised, just amused. This is the same grown man who performed in a Bart Simpson shirt, and wears a tan fanny pack. And we all love him even more for it. Because it shows how much he’s not into pretenses and appearances. It’s so refreshing… Anyway, I digress….

Finally the tell tale guitar riff of “Perth” begins. The adrenaline in my body at this point has caused me to breathe so heavily I’m feeling a bit faint. Luckily, I managed to calm it down by the time he started singing. And ohhhhh boy, can Justin sing. If you’ve ever doubted the clarity and power of Justin’s falsetto, don’t ever do it again. EVER AGAIN. As a band, on this song, it was extremely overwhelming. They are so cohesive, and so… just… dead on balls accurate on execution that they make it look so easy. Sean and Matt’s dueling drumsets were a thing of encompassing beauty. It was marvelous. At this point I’m so glad they decided to bring all these musicians out on tour because anything less wouldn’t do it justice. Like I predicted, it sounded huge and fucking amazing live and I wanted to live in that moment forever. Those simple little lights provided such an accompaniment to the lyrics and cadence of the song, it was the most spectacular opening song I’ve seen yet, from any band.

And then a few songs later… “Holocene”. The one song I knew I would cry on, and completely on cue, it happened. I looked to Meg and said “Ohhhh nooooo” and felt my eyes well up. I spent the first minute of the song with my head ducked down bawling like a baby. Then I decided to get some audio at least so I can cry about it in the comfort of my own home later today, LOL. But seriously, that song live is just everything I’ve ever felt, every emotion I’ve ever had, every pain I’ve ever experienced. It was overwhelming and I needed to cry on that song to let it out. If you care to hear a fraction of what I heard that night:

(HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU LISTEN THROUGH HEADPHONES/EARBUDS)

After that crying bit, I wound up crying on almost every song all through the middle of the show. It was just 1 song after another, all relevant to me, all have spoken to me or helped me through a situation at one time or another in my life. I remembered these moments and I remember how the songs made me feel at that time, and it was just so cleansing for me to be able to let them go. It’s almost as if hearing the same songs that I heard back then, in a sense, gave me permission to leave it behind. Like I shouldn’t have to carry any guilt or sadness around with me anymore. Particularly gorgeous was one from the new album called “Wash.” The song on the album was already gorgeous, but the live arrangement was stunning. It was one of those moments where you are just so grateful for your life and to be in the room hearing it. I could not stop crying on this song. Meg wound up crying on this one too. The lady next to me probably thought I was completely mental, but I did not care. Justin voice… I can’t even explain… I looked at Meg after one part that Justin sang, just a small riff, but it was so damn gorgeous it hurt me. She felt it too because she had the same expression on her face, and the crowd must have as well because they immediately cheered and clapped.

For a short break in the waterworks department, the boys pulled out another new one called “Hinnom, TX”. I had heard rumblings that while Justin did the heavy lifting on the low parts of the song, the parts that Justin also sing in his falsetto on the album version would be handled by Mike Noyce. Now, I’ve seen Mikey sing only a handful of times, usually in 3 part harmony with Justin and Sean, or a few times taking the lead on some cover songs – “Tampa to Tulsa” and “Simple Man”. But when he bust out the chorus in perfect tune I was so happy. I could have kissed him for doing it so brilliantly. One thing is for sure – All 3 of those guys, Justin, Mikey and Sean can sing their asses off. Without any question. The crowd loved it too because the round of applause he received was certainly well deserved.

And then, tumbling back into the crying songs… the 1st one that ever made me cry upon first listen was “RE: Stacks”. UGH. Just him, alone in the spotlight, on electric guitar. It was so silent you could probably hear the collective heartbeats of everyone in the room, minus the few “woos” and “i love you justin!!”. It doesn’t translate well to this recording, but you can take a listen and see for yourself:

(HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU LISTEN THROUGH HEADPHONES/EARBUDS)

They then launched into the aforementioned cover of the Bjork song, “Who Is It”. Seeing Justin doing his signature 2-step with castanets in his hands will forever be burned into my memory. But the one who stole the show here was Reggie Pace, who beatboxed the entire song, perfectly. He also plays trombone, and the little bells and chimes you hear through the songs. I know that Meg recorded that one, so I suggest you scour YouTube for it. It was so unexpected, but so well done, it felt so so right.

The main set closer was a thing of beauty and something that I couldn’t wait to experience live, “Wolves”. By now, I’m sure you all have seen videos of this song being sang live and how the crowd reacts to it, but nothing, NOTHING, prepared me for it. It was so freeing to be able to hear and be a part of that song. This one I did manage to take some video of. Stealth video because we weren’t supposed to be recording it at all, but I had to capture this moment, if anything, for memories sake:

(HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU LISTEN THROUGH HEADPHONES/EARBUDS)

The encore brought out an old crowd favorite “Skinny Love.” By this time everyone was on their feet from the energy of “Wolves” and refused to sit back down. So at the top of my lungs I sang about loveable lies and forgoing the parable. I could only imagine how everyone on that stage felt with a crowd of that size singing a song that was written by a man who completely down on himself at the time. This is by far Bon Iver‘s biggest hit to date, and one that most anyone could identify with. At that moment in that room we were all equals, and a room of that size managed to feel like we got to share that tiny cabin with Justin for a few minutes.

True to form, he closed the night with “Beth/Rest”, a complete throwback to the 80’s musically, but lyrically it was the perfect choice to end the show. The arrangement of the song also changed a little bit too. For me, it came across a lot less 80’s and more “this is me, take it or leave it.” Justin declared himself, declared what Bon Iver is (or isn’t depending on how you look at it) and declared that there is so much more to come from him. His genius title is completely well deserved and the closing lines “this is axiom” is him outright telling us that he knows who he is and what he’s doing. “For Emma..” might have been his happy accident, but “Bon Iver, Bon Iver” is his huge footprint in the cement.

It’s obvious that I’m a fan, but if it’s possible at all to gain even more respect for a musician than you’ve already had tons for, this would be the man, and this would be the band. Bon Iver are a force to be reckoned with, as cheesy as it may sound. To translate such a lush and intricately orchestrated album into a more beautifully lush and intricately orchestrated live show is not an easy task, yet Bon Iver pulls this off flawlessly. This is by far the best show I’ve ever seen, and definitely a show I recommend everyone see.

For more on Bon Iver, visit the website at http://www.boniver.org

critical mass.

Critical mass. That maximum density feeling. It’s where I’m at right now. For all the things I’ve accomplished, I never feel that sense of release. That “ahhhh” feeling, that mission accomplished, hi-five, so glad to be done feeling. I wonder if maybe it’s just me… that maybe I am so incredibly critical of myself and my actions that I am the one holding myself back from feeling that feeling of completion.

You’re probably wondering what I’m talking about. This may very well be the musings of a exhausted woman on a Saturday early morning… or maybe this is my Jerry Maguire-esque manifesto,lol. I’m brimming over with energy and ideas, but everyone requires balance. What… or even who will provide that for me? To quote one of my favorite songs… i’m bigger than my body. AYE  JOHN MAYER! *wink* Bigger than my body in the sense that I am not living the life that is equal to my brilliance. Not one bit. I’m smart, intelligent, multi-faceted… I’ve got… gumption! Plus whatever other interview worthy words you want to throw in there. But I feel like there is a turning point of sorts just beyond my reach. That one event, or even person that will snap all the pieces into place. And then there will lie my release. God release sounds so dirty doesn’t it? When did that word get so tainted in my mind? Oh right… Let’s not even go there tonight.
Now that I really think about it, it’s partially the reason why I go to so many gigs. It’s a temporary way for me to let go. And my God, the Bon Iver show. I’m mentally preparing myself for the most cathartic event of my life. Justin Vernon understands the human condition far better most, and the concentration of the intensity of his music, his voice, his words, and the collective emotional outpouring of his band and a sold out crowd… I can’t even fathom. I’m prepared to cry like I’ve never cried before. I need a good cleansing cry at this point! I think back on all the cries I’ve had in my life, and the most fucked up part about it is that I think I cried more during the whole fuckedupness that happened between my ex and the dark period directly afterward than when my father died. Goddamnit that makes me feel so guilty. Hmm… it may sound strange to hear someone say they are looking forward to crying, but I can honestly say I am.

Hmph, what a debbie downer blog post, right? Meh, I should learn not to blog when I’m in such a shit mood… but eh, this blog has always been the place for my to dump my thoughts. No trip to London will ever change that fact!

For now, I’m slipping back into what I know best… music. Tonight’s selection- Joy Road by Lyman Woodard Organization. Always a favorite to chill out to.

Day 8 in Brighton, then HOME.

Hey guys,

So this will be a recap of what happened on Day 8 in Brighton, UK and then an overall wrap-up.

Day 8 found Meghan and I waking up at our usual vacation time, 12ish. It was a Friday, and you know what day that was… Bon Iver tickets onsale at 11am EST for United Palace Theater. Unfortunately, 11am EST was also 4pm UK time, so Meghan was nice enough to indulge my fannery (not a word, but i’m keeping it) and lounge around til 4. We both managed to get dressed so we could leave directly after I got the tix, which by the way, general admission sold out in minutes, but not before I snagged a decent floor seat. YES! So that brings my total to 3 Bon Iver shows this summer – 1 in Wisconsin, which is the holy grail for the following reasons: he’s from Wisconsin so you know he’s gonna perform like nobodies business, CHEESE, and I will also be meeting up with Meghan once again!! The others are both here in New York.

Wait a minute, this is not a Bon Iver blog dammit. Sorry… carrying on.

After we left, we meandered, no, we moseyed to the tube station. Far away in Brighton lay the proverbial cherry on top of our vacation, a Sofar Sounds gig. Sofar Sounds, or Songs From A Room is a series of global pop up gigs happening in peoples living rooms. (more on this later).

We had to switch to a railway to take us down to Brighton from London. About an hour later, we arrived.

1st thing: IT WAS COLD!

Geographically we saw it was near the coast. I wore as many layers as I could without looking like the Michelin Man, but Meghan was winging it in her cardigan…. tsk! We were both famished by the time we got there, so we stopped at this little stand that sells these things called Pasty’s. To me, they look like huge empanadas or beef patties, but these had a multitude of different fillings. I chose the “Meat Exravaganza” (which is totally not something I would normally do because the lady behind the counter had no idea what was in it) and Meghan got the Bacon and Cheese. NOM.

Despite the ominousness name, mine was delicious. Definitely chock full of sausage and molten hot cheese and tomato sauce. I had to do the fast huff puff so I didn’t burn the beejeezus out of my mouth.

Anyway…

A short cab ride over to the “secret location”. We were really early,so we found a pub down the block from our final destination. At this point we were desperate to rid ourselves of this blasted UK coin money so we got some drinks. I still couldn’t manage to count mine fast enough without the bartender looking at me like I was mental, so out came the paper poundage. That was such a FAIL, but I had it with those stupid coins.

Finally, we decided it was late enough to head over and not look lamely early so off we went. As we entered, we heard someone behind a door singing. Immediately my eyes went wide. I said “That sounds like Jack Savoretti”. I didn’t know if that was the room we were supposed to be in or not, so I didn’t knock. We walked a little more in and then we yelled out some “HELLO’s”.  A voice from downstairs welcomed us, so we descended. Immediately I see a blond haired guy with such a friendly face. He said we weren’t too early (thank goodness). Moving further into the room I come across Passion Ate Dave, or Dave Alexander, and Rocky Start – 2 of the founders of Sofar Sounds. I just recently saw Rocky at the last NY gig, so  I hugged him enthusiastically. I hadn’t seen Dave since the 1st NY gig, so I waved a hello to him, and decided it was best to get out of their way as they were still setting up.

Meghan held down a little couch in the corner, so I stood by and watched the space fill up. There was also a little patio area that people would mingle in as well. While we were down there, a band called Trophy Wife was rehearsing. From what they were playing, I knew they would be fantastic.

Talking more amongst ourselves, all of a sudden I look up and there’s Matt Hope! Matt does most of the tweeting and social networking for Sofar Sounds. I swear the look of pure joy on his face made me so happy. We hugged and he exclaimed how happy he was to finally meet us.

Nearing the start of the gig, I moved closer to the “stage area” so I could get some photos, leaving Meg near the couch. I didn’t anticipate what angle the performers would face, so this was not a good idea,lol. Aside from that, Trophy Wife went on 1st and they were just as good as I knew they would be:

So after that, the next performer was up… none other than Jack Savoretti. (I’ve got some stellar voice recognition, don’t I?). He tore the place down, as I expected. This was Meg’s 1st experience with him, and she was impressed as well.

And then after that was a lovely group from Paris called We Were Evergreen. So whimsical! I loved the odd little piano they used too 🙂

And finally, it was Passion Ate Dave’s turn to perform:

There were 2 more performers, but the last train back to London departed at 11pm so sadly we had to leave early. Sofar was the perfect end to a perfect vacation as we packed up for our early morning flights. Meghan and I were departing from different terminals so a short goodbye hug in the tube ended our pairing. All I can say is that thank goodness we decided to go together!!

Which brings me to the wrap-up. I am not sure why traveling abroad was something that I always felt was so unobtainable. Maybe monetarily, yes.. (thank goodness for fair tax returns). I guess for me this trip represented a turning point. For me to just decide to go to London and actually follow through – buying the passport, booking the tickets, etc, is a STEP for me. I am the biggest procrastinator about certain things, and doing things for myself is something that I struggle with, not sure why.

Aside from that, during my time in London I kept feeling like “is this really my life”? Because I just couldn’t believe where I was. I am the 1st of my entire family to travel abroad.This trip represents a step in the direction that I intend on going. No, not moving to London. But wanting something, and following through on it to make it happen. I don’t want to go places or do things and feel like it shouldn’t be happening because it isn’t how my life usually pans out. I kind of felt a little out of place, like sure this is nice, but this isn’t MINE… if that makes sense. I know the lay of the land and the lay of my life in NY, but London was a complete clean slate. I felt confident and self assured, but only because I was thinking…. this isn’t really my life.

The next time I go back to London, I want it to feel like I’m supposed to be there, if you know what I mean. 2011 has been huge by way of changes, and I believe that I’m finally starting to get it all figured out. FINALLY.

So on that note, thanks to everyone who took the London ride with me… let’s do it again sometime 🙂

I don’t know how often I will update this because my day to day is not nearly as eventful as this vacation was, but we’ll see.

Til next time,

L

PS – For more info on Sofar Sounds and how you can be a part of it, visit www.sofarsounds.com. Also, if you would like to support the movement, visit http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/70445312/a-global-music-movement-supporting-incredible-new-0

Day 7: Lunching in London

Meghan and I didn’t get out of bed til like 3:30pm, then went down to Leicester Square where we had a 4 hour lunch. Really. She got pasta, I got some chicken and mustard thing, then we topped it off with creme brûlée. So delicious.

Not sure why people question British food, every thing I had here was amazing.

Afterward, we went to a pub across the street and drank. They had my favorite beer: Duvel. I was home! Lol.

Mostly it was a chill day of enjoying the London atmosphere and talking. Really relaxed and mellow. We needed a down day 🙂

Now we are sitting here with snacks! Finally got Meghan to get a Magnum bar, lol…

Tomorrow, we head to Brighton for Sofarsounds. Gonna be a great day… Plus Bon Iver tix go on sale at 11EST. Yes!

Sorry not so exciting today,promise to make up for it 🙂

Til then,
L

Day 6: Farms and Facepaint in London

Today. Such a conglomeration of happenstance. I don’t even know how or why it came together, but it did.

A simple tweet alerting us of a Marcus Foster performance, a few more tweets later we got confirmation of where and when. Then… Walk the Moon was already on the agenda. Was turning out to be quite the day, lemme tell ya.

First, we lounged around til about 3 and then finally got up and headed to Hoxton. The farm was in the area, so we decided to grab some food nearby. We ran into this small little cafe, which coincidentally is a recording studio. There were pics of artists up on the walls to prove the point. Meghan and I both got the eggs florentine, and for the first time eating that, it was super delicious! Then we sat talking for hours and finally ended our brunch with some slices of chocolate cake, in honor of Meghan’s birthday of course.

Strolling a little bit down the way, we managed the find the farm where Marcus and Chris were to perform. Just one problem…. It was invite only. *cue horror music*

Meghan explained how Chris said we could come down, and they finally let us in, thank goodness. It wasn’t packed at first, but it did quickly fill up eventually. Free booze, and free food nonetheless, lol. We relaxed and enjoyed the atmosphere and appetizers until it was time for Marcus to sing.

We made our way into the little barn like area, and lo and behold…. A cozy couch for us to sit on and watch. Odd thing is, the total number of people that actually came into the barn to watch the show was only 12. 12 people! So odd. I guess the wanted their free booze more than a gig… More for us then, because it was like a private party! Woo!

They did only 5 songs, but hey, after 2 years, that was more than enough to make it worth my while.

1. I Don’t Mind
2. Shadows of the City
3. Don’t Need to Lose You To Know
4. Tumble Down
5. Kiss is a Knife

I recorded 2 of the 5, but the files are too large to upload now. Will have to do it when I get back home 🙂

Those guys certainly make a great team, and so happy to see Chris playing a cajon! Thats an instrument that needs way more love.

After the show, Meg and I chatted with them a bit, but we had to be on our merry way to see Walk The Moon!

Finally making it to the venue, there was about and hours wait until the got on. I had to partake in some facepaint. Sadly it was so hot in there, Meg declined… Maybe next time?

Finally the boys got on! The crowd is nowhere near as energetic as the last time I saw WTM in Brooklyn, but still a fun time. My favorites are Quesadilla,I Can Lift A Car and Anna Sun, of course.

Kevin Jones and Ben Lovett even showed up to the gig. I wonder if Ben already knew about them from Communion NY or if they are gaining a following in London… Ah well.

Afterward, Meg talked to Kevin, and mentioned Bushstock, and the exclamation of remorse for it getting rescheduled was instant, lol. Considering everything that has happened in place of it, I am not mad about anything at this point!

So now, sitting here in my facepaint, blogging. With the feeling that I don’t wanna wash it off, lol.

What a day.

Who the hell knows what tomorrow will bring.

Til then,
– L

Day 5: Derp Derp in London

Ok so this morning, we totally overslept. I’m talking after 12pm. Meghan still had leftovers from the Thai we ate the previous night, but I didn’t, so I decided to walk down to the fish and chip shop in town. I got the cod and chips, and by the power of magic he produced this, sprinkled with sea salt and malt vinegar in like 2 seconds. Hot, crispy, delicious. Then I headed over to Tesco to get some water and some more snacks! This time I got different bags of crisps: Wotsits, Doritos, and Thai Sweet Chili. Haven’t tried them yet, but I will let you all know how it goes.

Back at the pad, stuffing the fish and chips in my mouth, or at least as much of it that could fit comfortable, perusing Twitter, we found out that Walk the Moon have two more shows in London, today and tomorrow. Without nothing else on our agenda, we decided to check out today’s show in Kings Cross.but beforehand, we decided to catch a movie at Leicester Square.

We saw Water for Elephants! Ha! No, i kid. Really, we saw Limitless… A movie I’ve wanted to see forever now, but just now getting around to it. First off, what’s all this sweet popcorn business? Who knew that was so popular? Secondly, I ordered salty popcorn. I get the popcorn and I peer around the theater looking for it in earnest….

WHERE IS THE BUTTER FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.

Do you all not believe in buttered popcorn? Wait, that’s blasphemy… But seriously,how can you Londoners eat dry ass popcorn? I was so baffled by this.

So toting my dry ass popcorn and slushie, we made our way into the theater. You could easily tell we were the only Americans in the place for the simple fact that Meghan and I totally laughed at the American humor on the previews. Mind you her laugh can alert the masses anyway (read: loud).

The movie in itself was good! Very good actually. I wish something like that existed in real life… Even though it might kill me, it’s worth it, lol.

After the movie, we headed to Kings Cross, but we were both famished, so decided to stop at the little pub before heading to the venue.

Here’s what happened. We get there at 7:30, there are supposed to be 2 opening bands, so we took our time and ate slowly. At 9pm we walk (ACROSS THE STREET) to the venue, and guess what… We see them packing up the van. WE MISSED THE ENTIRE GIG! I could have spat fire I was so disgruntled,lol. We chatted up some folks outside just to make sure we really botched this terribly, and yes, indeed we did miss the show because we were eating across the street.

DERP DERP.

So instead of new pics of Walk the Moon, I’ll just insert these pics from the last time I saw them, so you guys can just squint really hard and pretend they were taken in a London pub.

Thankfully there is another gig tomorrow, and we will not miss it. I will not leave London without a painted face.

Plus, tomorrow is Meghan’s birthday 🙂 Victory shall be ours!

Til tomorrow,
-L

Day 4: Boot Stomping in London

So this morning we decided to head over to Knightsbridge to check out Harrods. It really is like a huge huge Macy’s. Neither of us purchased anything and we had hours to kill before the Mumford & Sons gig, so we went across the street to this restaurant where we sat outside and had tea, scones, clotted cream and jelly. Absolutely delicious. Must find a way to get this again when I’m back home.

And here’s Meg, drinking her coke and eating scones, while I had the tea 🙂

Anyway, after some hours of sitting and talking we got on the tube to Wimbeldon, to the New Wimbeldon Theatre to see Mumford & Sons. Matthew & the Atlas opened for them. I would have loved to see more banter from Matthew & the Atlas, but I did enjoy his voice, very unique. I will be sure to listen to more of their stuff. The venue was gorgeous too…

Meg and I tried to stand on the side near the railing but the usher sent us back to our seats immediately when the show began.
Anyway…. After some preliminary announcements and hoopla, it was time…. 1st person to come out:

Then….

Then….

And finally…

The crowd was energetic and eager to participate. Everyone stood up. Everyone clapped. Everyone danced. Everyone cheered. Old and young alike.., it was pretty spectacular. But when a moment of silence was asked for, this happened, and it was lovely:

Meg and I looked at each other like “OMG.” It was so silent you could hear a pin drop, I was very impressed that the silence lasted the entire song.

They also played another one of my favorites:

I love a multi talented man! Seeing Marcus on drums is invigorating, I was again… Impressed.

Overall I thought it was one of the best gigs I’ve been to in recent history. Winnie humped his banjo as usual, Ben smiled the entire time and whipped his hair back and forth, Ted was Ted, and Marcus left his heart and soul out onstage. It was inspiring and possibly one of the best nights of my life. Can’t wait to see them again.

Tomorrow would have been Paris, but since someone at the Eurostar website is smoking crack and trying to charge £400 roundtrip, Paris will have to wait. At least until I make my millions or the sugar daddy comes along, whichever is 1st.

So, more days in London, which I’m not sad about. Maybe some art… Maybe some sightseeing, maybe some more beer? Ok definitely more beer. Lol.

Til then,
-L

Day 3: Touristy in London

Another day of sightseeing under our belts. Went to Tower of London and saw the castle. The tour guide was a complete riot. Got some video of him that I will post later 🙂 For now, some photos:

The castle even had a moat. It was full of grass by now, but I thought it was cool. Turns out this was the place were Anne Boelyn is buried as well…. And everyone knows how much I loved The Other Boelyn girl, lol.

We also went into the chapel, and saw the Crown Jewels as well, but we were not allowed to take photos. Talk about bling that would but these rappers to shame! So ornately beautiful.

We did walk around the grounds a bit and saw this:

And this:

Man those crows are huge! I didn’t realize how big they are until I saw them next to a pigeon… Holy crap. Lol.

After a while, we went up into one of the towers and saw some graffiti:

And I peeked out of where the archers would have been while protecting the castle:

After that Meghan took a lil tiger snooze on a bench…. Not really. But she did take a break on a bench while I went into another tower to see the armor and weapons.

And this was my face after coming out:

Slightly unenthused… You know why? Because this man inside who was old enough to be my dad hit on me. In London! My plague has followed me across the pond. Seriously? Does my face just scream for only old men to come talk to me? Agh I give up! Lol.

After that we were ready to go home. Stopping for another Magnum ice cream…. Nom… We walked to the tube station. Planning on going out to a nearby pub in Kennington. There are so many line cancellations we thought it would be safer to stay local.

Not holding my breath for any hot guys to come up to me…lol. Such a fail.

Til next time,
-L

Day 2: Clumsy in London

I don’t know what it is, but so far Meghan and I have tripped and fallen twice and I nearly twisted my ankle 2 times. Is it the London air? I’m never this clumsy. I think the fates are conspiring against me to look as uncool as possible so I don’t attract any hot guys. FML.

Anyhow, today sightseeing! Oxford Street was like a posh LA I suppose. This is also where I fell mind you. In the middle of a crowd. So suave? Lol.

No I didn’t buy anything… Gotta save for more food and record stores aghhh! Speaking of food, Meg and I saw this little street vendor place where I got these:

Those are my Justin Vernon shades…lol. Long story. We then stopped at an italian restaurant. I got shrimp spaghetti, Meghan, a salad. We both got dessert: tiramisu for her, Chocolate mousse for me. All delicious! I haven’t had one bad meal since I got here.

More sightseeing.. Piccadilly Circus, and Trafalgar Square 🙂

Yea I know there’s dust on my lens, forgot to clean it before it left. But there was a “free hugs” guy in Trafalgar Square! Had to partake in that 😉

Then onto Westminster Abbey and The Eye. Big Ben… Yeah! We totally stuck around to hear the “bongs” too. Haha.

Now mind you they sell those “Magnum” ice cream bars all over the place here. So far I’ve had 2. I plan on having more. So decadently delicious. Hope they sell them around my house when I return because I don’t think I could live without them at this point.

So right now we are relaxing for a bit before heading out to a pub that Chris suggested, and hopefully catch some music.

Til next time…
-L

London… Day 1

It started off innocently enough. Flight went smoothly, dinner service was great. They even had “Killing Bono” as a movie option on the flight. But it couldn’t have continued this way if course….

It just so happens that I managed to buy the only sim card that doesn’t come preloaded with credit, and they didn’t sell any top up card for that carrier..boo. So for now, still phone less.

Then Meghan. Couldn’t find her at the airport for 3 hours,lol. Apparently we were so worried about planning out itinerary we forgot to plan where we would meet. Doh! Then after sitting on a hot tube ride (seriously London? No AC?) we finally made it to Kennington. Meghan and I were so hot and tired we both just laid down on the bed, but not for long because we had reservations at the Royal Court Cafe for 5:45 dinner. Quick shower and a change of clothes later, we were in a cab and the way over.

I was freaking out in the car because we passed by The Eye, and this:

Look at all that lovely architecture! Nom nom! More of that later when we actually go out sightseeing this weekend.

So finally made it to dinner. I had a lamb burger with a mint sauce and some sautéed potatos, Meghan had some delicious ham thing with chutney and relishes.. Then onto Wastwater.

Wastwater is a play which stars Tom Sturridge as Harry. The play was split into 3 parts: Harry explaining to his foster mom the reasons why he desperately needs to flee town, Mark and Lisa – 2 married (not to each other) adults meeting in a hotel room for a tryst, which turns out to be a lot more than he bargained for, and finally Jonathan who somehow wanted to buy a little Vietnamese child. Yea, Meghan and I couldn’t figure out how the last act related to the 1st two. The 2nd did tie in why Harry wanted so desperately to leave though. Overall, Meghan and I did enjoy the 1st 2 acts the most. Tom shines at being a very awkward character…not as aloof and childlike as his character in Waiting for Forever, but still an strong undercurrent of whimsy that makes him perfect for these roles. The woman who plays his foster mum Frieda, also had a strong presence. Her overprotectiveness of Harry adding to the urgency of why he does need to leave. Loved the male actor in the 2nd act though. He was funny and also rather attractive…Win! Also, this act was far more raunchy and sexual which is right up my alley…tawhaw! Kidding! The 3rd act had me feeling a bit like “what is happening here?”… Not much else to say on that front.

Which brings us to the awkward after show bumping into Tom on the street. I swear we weren’t following him, but as we rounded the corner he was just standing there on the phone so Meghan and I decided to say hello and let him know we enjoyed his performance. He looked a bit bewildered, but from by the way he was casually strolling round, not too many folks come up to him on the sidewalk I suppose,lol. No pics, just a short and sweet convo, then we got on the tube home.

But not before I stopped at the store and got some water, and these:

I refuse to leave London without trying the prawn cocktail and roast chicken chips. Oops i mean crisps…smh. Not for nothing, but the prawn ones were damn tasty! We need those in the states. Leaving the roast chicken ones for tomorrow.

And that’s day 1 folks. I promise more interesting things tomorrow once I’m on London time and i’m not rushing everywhere. So far I have to say this is a really cool city. Haven’t felt this relaxed in years. I don’t think anywhere compares to the constant grind and stress of New York though. And the hot guy ratio here is pretty high, not even kidding.

Til tomorrow 🙂

-L